Egyptian Courts Orders Cancellation of Vote in 24 Districts

Egyptian courts have ordered the cancellation of parliamentary elections this Sunday in 24 districts. But it is expected the court's orders will be quashed as the ruling party contests them.

The courts have said elections should not be held in 12 districts in the Nile Delta, two districts in the south of the country, and 10 already announced around the Mediterranean coast.

There are a total of 254 districts across the country.

Egypt's High Elections Commission has ignored court orders to reinstate opposition and independent candidates. The courts say many of them have been deliberately ignored. Many of the barred candidates belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a banned Islamist group.

The Egyptian government says many should be disqualified because they are misrepresenting themselves as independents.

And the ruling National Democratic Party is expected to challenge the cancellations.

Police have arrested more than 1,000 of the Islamists' supporters since they announced in October that they would run in the election.